Sunday, June 1, 2014

Poop Hammocks & Coop Cleaning

I've added poop hammocks under the roost. These collect the majority of the poop and make cleaning super easy.


Plus I added a little wall décor.

I also made them a feeder that should keep them from wasting the food. The wire on top keeps them from perching on it...i.e. pooping on it. I found the instructions on www.backyardchickens.com - love that site!
 
I read that 80% of chicken poop happens while they are on the roost. So the poop hammocks collect the majority of the poop. To clean it out, I remove the hammocks which are attached with simple hooks & eyes. I keep them folded up and then tilt them over a 5 gallon bucket. The poop falls out into the bucket. Then I bring the hammocks outside and hang them on the side of our barn & hose them off.
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Then I hang them on the outside of the coop to dry in the sun before hanging them back under the roost. This process takes about 5-10 minutes every 2-3 days.

To clean the rest of the coop/run area, I made a sand scoop with a pitchfork, 1/8" hardware cloth & zip ties. I spend about 5 minutes a day sifting out poop from the sand. So far, everything is working as planned. These eggs better be pretty & tasty, that's all I'm gonna say.


And here's a pic of our girls...and maybe some boys...finishing our watermelon leftovers. They love it!

4 comments:

  1. What a great, safe space for your chickens. Mine is similar, though not quite as large. I am doing a little remodeling, which is why I came across your page. I am planning to make poop hammocks. The old bending, raking and sifting method is too hard.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great, safe space for your chickens. Mine is similar, though not quite as large. I am doing a little remodeling, which is why I came across your page. I am planning to make poop hammocks. The old bending, raking and sifting method is too hard.

    ReplyDelete